Blotter and ruler.



0. KLING.

BLOTTER AND RULER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I6. I918.

1,294,478, 7 Patented Feb. 18, 1919,

awuamioz Orlando Hang.

6J5 I 11 d artozwn UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

ORLILNDO KLING, OIE DENVER, COLORADO.

BLO'ITER- AND RULER.

Application filed April 16, 1918.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ORLANDO KLING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Blotters and Rulers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined ruler and blotter support and hasfor its object to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive deviceof this character in which the parts may be readily assembled and theblotter elements renewed when impaired.

lVith this and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction, as hereinafter shown and described andthen specifically pointed out in the claims; and in the drawingsillustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention-- Figure 1 isa perspective view of the improved device.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation with a portion in section on theline 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail on the line 83 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view, enlarged, of one of the clampmembers.

The improved device comprises a body portion 10 having one edge 11continuous from end to end and constituting a rule edge. The portion ofthe body 10 opposite the rule edge 11 is bent at right angles to thebody as shown at 12, and the free edge of the portion 12 turned over asshown at 13 to form a longitudinally directed guideway. Connected to theupturned portion 12 of the body and spaced from its ends are laterallydirected stop pins 14:. Clamp devices form a part of the improved deviceand are each formed from a strip of sheet metal comprising a bodyportion 15, a downturned edge 16 and an upturned portion 17 the latterhaving a longitudinally directed open slot 18. One of the clamp deviceswill be employed at each end of the body and are precisely alike exceptthat they are formed rights and lefts, or with the slots 18 openinginwardly or toward each other as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The clampdevices are designed to bear above the upper face of the body portion 10with the upper edges of the portions 17 bearing within the guideway 18and the slots 18 engaging over the pins 1 1-, the latter being headed tohold the clamp Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Serial No. 228,890.

devices in position. The downturned edge 16 engages over the upper faceof the body 10 adjacent to the rule edge 11. The blotter element isformed in strips 19 slightly less in width than the body 10 and aresuper-imposed and bear beneath the lower edge of the latter with theterminal portions bearing over the body 10 at its ends and beneath thebody portions 15 of the clamp devices as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Toassemble the parts the clamp devices are detached and the body 10disposed in position above the strips of the blotting material with theends of the latter extending beyond the ends of the body 10. Theprojecting ends of the blotter elements are then folded over the ends ofthe body 10 and the clamp devices arranged in position with the portions15 of the clamp devices bearing upon the turned-over portions of theblotter strips and the downturned edge 16 in advance of the turned-overblotter portions and the portions 17 of the clamp devices forced intothe guideways 13 at the ends with the slots 18 engaging the pins 14. Theturned-over portions of the blotter strips are thus compressed againstthe upper face of the body portion 10 and the strips thereby firmly heldin position upon and beneath the body. No portion of the metal comes incontact with the surface of the paper upon which the ruler is to beemployed.

It will be noted that the heads of the pins 14 project over the adjacentedge of the turned-over portion 13 of the body, and operate to slightlydeflect the turned-over portion toward the upturned portion 12, thusforming an inwardly sloping socket within the guideway at the ends asshown in Fig. 3, to cause the upturned portions 17 of the clamp devicesto be compressed when forced into the sockets, and thus assist inholding them in position.

The improved device saves time and labor as means is provided forblotting the ruled lines as fast as made and by the same device whichguides the ruling pen. The operator can thus immediately blot the ruledline required by simply detaching the clamp devices.

If required the slots 18 may be slightly inclined to the plane of thebody portions 15 of the clamp devices, thereby increasing the grip ofthe clamp devices upon the blotter strips. A plurality of the blotterstrips will generally be employed and superimposed, so that when onestrip is used up it may be detached and the next strip utilized, or theused-up strip may be cut loose at the ends leaving all of theover-turned portions beneath the clamp devices until all are used. Thusall of the blotting strips may be used without detaching the clampdevices.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A device of the class described comprising a body having a rule edgeand a longitudinally directed upstanding guide and clamp devices eachincluding a bearing portion and an upstanding guide engaging portion,the bearing portion being adapted to support a blotting element againstthe under face of the body.

2. A device of the class described comprising a body having a rule edgeand a longitudinally directed upstanding flange terminating in a guide,stop pins extending from said flange, and clamp devices each including abearing portion and an upstanding guide engaging portion, said guideengaging portion having a slot to engage said pin and the bearingportion being adapted to support a blotting element against the underface of the body.

3. A device of the class described comprising a body having a rule edgeand a longitudinally directed upstanding flange terminating in a guide,clamp devices each including a bearing portion and an upstanding guideengaging portion and a portion of a blotting element between saidbearing portion and the upper face of the body and retained thereby incontact with the lower face of the body.

t. A device of the class described comprising a body having a rule edgeand provided with a longitudinally directed upstanding fiange the freeedge of which is bent downwardly to form a guide, clamping devices eachincluding a bearing portion having a depending lip and an upstandingportion fitting within the guide, and fasten: ing devices extendingthrough the upstanding portions of the body and clamp devices forholding the latter in engagement with a blotter.

5. A device of the class described comprising a body portion having onelongitudinal edge thereof straight and constituting a. rule edge and itsother longitudinal edge bent upwardly to form an upstanding portion andthence bent downwardly to form an overhanging guide, clamp devicesdisposed at opposite ends of the body and each comprising a bearingportion having a depending lip and an upstanding portion fitting withinthe guide, the inner edges of the clamp devices at the upstandingportions thereof being formed with slots and fastening devices extendingthrough said slots and engaging the upstanding portion of the body.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ORLANDO KLING. [L.S.]

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 33. G.

